Just two teams remain in the 2025 DII women's soccer championship. Franklin Pierce pulled off a tremendous, come-from-behind upset over No. 1-seeded Washburn and are looking for yet another trophy for their case. Standing in the Ravens way is Florida Tech, a program that has never made it this far in their history. The Panthers eliminated Cal Poly Pomona 1-0 and ensured there will not be a repeat champion in 2025.
⚽️ 🏆 2025 DII women's soccer championship: Bracket, schedule, scores
Here's what you need to know for Saturday's championship match.
The DII women's soccer championship: How to watch
It is the third year in a row the No. 1 seed is absent from the championship match, and second time in three seasons that the two bottom seeds meet. No. 4 Franklin Pierce and No. 3 Florida Tech square off from Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, Colorado, at 5 p.m. ET. You can watch all the action live right here on krikyu.com.
Franklin Pierce vs. Florida Tech, by the numbers
| Stats to know | Florida Tech | Franklin Pierce |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring offense | 1.8 | 2.4 |
| Goals-against-average | 0.72 | 0.88 |
| Assists per game | 1.6 | 2.0 |
| Saves per game | 3.9 | 3.3 |
| Goal differential | 26 | 37 |
Franklin Pierce is rolling into its eighth national championship match in program history full of adrenaline. The Ravens had a thrilling comeback scoring twice in under a minute to beat the top-seeded Ichabods 2-1. They now look to win their sixth DII women's soccer national championship, which would be the second most all time.
The Ravens are 17-2-5 on the season and have defeated four top 20 teams in the tournament to get to this point, all of which have been in dramatic fashion. They defeated Mercy in the final minute with a game-winner from Olivia Crespo; a Jefferson own goal in the 82nd minute gave the Ravens the East Region title; they went to overtime in a 3-2 victory over West Chester; and then, the bananas scoring barrage with under eight minutes remaining in the semifinals.
Makenzie Shean, who scored the semifinals' game-winner, and Claudia Peirce lead the team with nine goals apiece to power DII's 15th-best scoring offense. Their 37-goal margin of victory is also top 15 in DII. In net, Jess LaCroix had a dazzling freshman debut, finishing second in the NE10 in goals against average at 0.89 with a 12-1-3 record, earning NE10 All-Rookie honors for her success. Of course, having NE10 defensive player of the year Samantha Breton in front of you certainly helps.
The Panthers come in at 16-3-6. They have one loss since October 25, and that was a dramatic 6-5 penalty kick defeat in the SSC championship game. Since then, the No. 4-seeded Panthers upset No. 1 West Florida in the South Region and then got its revenge on Nova Southeastern in a No. 4 vs. No. 2 upset to win the South. After handling Lenoir-Rhyne, they dethroned the defending champion Broncos in the semifinals in shutout fashion. In short, this is quite the run.
The fourth time proved to be the charm for the Panthers, as this team has rewritten program history. The previous three trips to the semifinals were losses, but now Florida Tech is finally playing for a title. Where the Ravens are a force on offense, the Panthers are driven by their stingy defense. Keeper Kaitlin Sinkler finished second in the SSC with a 0.75 goals-against average, while newly anointed All-American Sara Batchadji not only helps this smothering defense, but scored the game-winning goal in the 50th minute against Cal Poly Pomona. The last time a team scored two goals against this defense was Oct. 11.
Forward Lauryn Wood leads the offense after scoring a team-high 22 points on seven goals and eight assists. Freshman Izzie Bromage has also been a force, tying Wood for the team lead in goals this season. Wood has been red hot in the tournament and had a three-game, goal-scoring streak snapped in the semifinals. Two of those goals were the game-winners, so she will have to keep it going for the Panthers to have a chance.
The DII women's soccer championship prediction
Can the Florida Tech defense shut down the Ravens' offense, a team that has failed to score a goal in regulation just once this entire season? Can the Panthers' offense, one that hasn't scored more than two goals in a match in over a month, keep pace with a top 15 offense in DII? These are the questions that will decide a national championship on Saturday.
History doesn't help much here. Franklin Pierce is looking for title No. 6, but the Ravens haven't won a championship since 1999, though they have a national runners-up finish more recently in 2007. The previous two DII women's soccer national champions were first timers, so if things truly do happen in threes, Florida Tech is looking good.
This may be the toughest finals match to predict. I have been told defense wins championships, so Florida Tech would have an edge. After all, the Panthers upset West Florida (26th-ranked offense overall) and Nova Southeastern (seventh-ranked scoring offense in DII) and didn't shy away from two potent scoring teams. However, they also say history repeats itself, and Franklin Pierce is looking to make history with its sixth all-time title. So, who wins?
Prediction: Florida Tech 2, Franklin Pierce 1
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